


The Family Way

by kormantic



Category: The Sting
Genre: F/M, yuletidemadness2009
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-21
Updated: 2009-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-04 20:52:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kormantic/pseuds/kormantic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Salino line is maternal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Family Way

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mlyn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mlyn/gifts).



Like any Italian mother, Rose Salino wanted grandchildren.

"How long must we wait, Loretta?"

"You're not getting any younger, cara," reminded Agnes.

"I took the train to Westchester for this?" Loretta lit another cigarette and her aunt clucked at her.

"Sloppy, sloppy. Only muscle, thick headed muscle at that, lights a cigarette on a job."

"I'm not _on_ a job, Agnes."

"It's low class," said Rose. "On a job or not. Is this how we raised you?"

"I like it. I like to smoke. And I'll do what I like."

Rose took this as her opening and crooned, "And wouldn't you like a baby? A sweet little girl, like you were."

Loretta, schooled by her mother and her aunt to never admit to anything she might or might not want, took a deliberate drag off her Old Gold and gave Rose a basilisk stare instead.

"Oh, such a little stone face, piccola." Her mother laughed down at her and patted her cheek. "You should think about retiring, settling down with us. We would help you raise her up!

"A little girl is just what you need. You have a nest egg, you take a final job, you break clean."

"And you two can build a new little soldier."

"You," snorted Agnes. "What else should we teach her? We grew up with poisons! You poison a rose, you poison his espresso, bah. Old fashioned. We were smart to teach you small arms."

"So convenient, no messy convulsions."

"How many dresses did we ruin," mourned Agnes.

"We want what's best for you. We taught you to be strong, and you are strong. Now we will teach you to be a mother. Don't think you fool me with your haughty looks, Loretta. I have seen you with your cousins, and I know that look. You want a baby."

"Oh, shut up already, would you," Loretta snapped, and her mother glowed, basking in the rich satisfaction of knowing she was right.

*

Donnegan sent a flunky named Riley to give her the contract and a head's up on the mark. Even though Riley had seen the guy first hand, his description of one Johnny Hooker was wanting. With a little badgering of the witness, she filled in the details: strong build, strong chin, tallish, blond, blue eyed, All-American. Riley told her they'd set her up in a diner near the kid's room where he'd last been sighted. The little dame behind the counter would have taken a sawbuck to make herself scarce for a few days, but Loretta needed a bedsit and a cover story, and Miss June Whittaker needed a train ticket back to Douglas, Nebraska. Next morning, Loretta was dealing blueplate specials at Klein's like she'd done it all her life.

She'd only been at the counter for a few hours when Hooker came in. He fit the bill all right, aside from the manicure and tailored suit. And maybe the prettiest hair she'd ever seen. On top of that, he tipped like a champ. Didn't exactly jibe with a con on the lam, but then Mottola had had close to twelve grand on him when Hooker and his pal had rolled him, and in Loretta's experience, the bigger the tip, the smaller the dick. Then again, a dandy like that probably spent most of his time biting a pillow, and didn't have to worry about things like that.

Of course, once the kid made that prick Cole (smoking under a streetlamp across the street like a mook), she had confirmation for the kill. But now there were complications: Max slinging hash in the kitchen, and Cole eyeballing her target and stepping on her toes.

Hooker helped her make her decision by showing a surprising amount of brain under all that glossy hair. A few moments later, she was in the john nestled up against a hard wall of heavy breathing in a new suit, waiting for Cole. She half wanted him to rip the door open so she could knee him in the balls before shoving his own gun up his ass. Where did these goombahs get off?

If you showed a hint of competence, you were a cold fish, and if you were smart enough not to sleep with anyone you worked with, they called you butch. After this job, she'd quit this carnival and open a newsstand or something. Jesus. Her ma was right; it was time to get out of the monkey house. Right after she gave Cole a case of lead poisoning and finished the kid.

*

She wasn't exactly surprised when Hooker showed up at her door. Plenty of flits liked a girl now and again, and she was willing to bet that whoever Hooker spent all his time dressing up for had a girl of his own. She considered her options and then that old bag Mrs. Hillard trimmed them considerably by sticking her nose where it didn't belong.

Well, so maybe Hooker was a fruit and maybe he wasn't, but he was pretty enough and not too dumb. He was just making the mistake all men made.

She smiled and held the door open.

END


End file.
